Richard didn’t get on as well with any of his other minders, but it sounded as if he really disliked this particular guy. It had obviously been a really full day, too, and his team had had to scramble to try and reschedule things all the way. He had known they would, as soon as he realised how late he had slept. He was sorry he had taken his temper out on Bella. What could he do to apologise?
There followed a series of increasingly lunatic treats by means of which he hoped to lure her back, starting with star-gazing on the South Downs and ending with diamond earrings of her choice.
Bella grinned and composed her answer to this last with care.
Downs cold. Earrings also. Write me a sonnet. P.S. Not ignoring you, phone not working.
She drank some of the luke-warm latte and went through the other texts. Anthea’s added nothing to what she had said today, so Bella deleted them. Neill, on the other hand, had clearly wished he’d not unloaded his troubles in the wine bar. Bella wasn’t to take it too seriously, he texted. He’d been tired and it had been a tough week. He and Val were fine really, just fine, and Bella wasn’t to worry about him. His later texts about the Viking longboat were a lot less stilted and more believable. He was clearly going to have the time of his life as a Viking oarsman. Bella decided that Lottie was a genius and texted her to tell her so.
Her phone pinged and she saw Richard had replied. Eagerly she opened the message.
Sonnet too long. Settle for a haiku? P.S. Bad phone!
Bella laughed aloud.
Haiku too short. Offers?
She started to work her way through her mother’s texts. Janet had never really embraced the idea of texting brevity. She wrote in paragraphs, more or less as the ideas poured out of her brain. There had been times when it made Bella feel seasick, as if she were trying to stand upright on a surfboard, with the waves getting bigger and faster underneath her. This time, however, it just stirred her conscience.
Janet was worried that there was something Bella wasn’t telling her. She knew that children need their privacy and she didn’t want to pry but she didn’t want Bella to feel that she had to carry everything on her own, either. No matter what happened, no matter what Bella had done – she said this several times in ten different messages – there was always a home for her with Janet and Kevin. They would always be there for her. Kevin would be delighted to help her find a job, or to fund her course if she wanted to re-train. Janet would do anything Bella wanted. Anything.
The last text was a killer: I know we’ve never had a lot in common. Sometimes I feel I don’t know you at all. But I have this feeling that you’re on the edge of something huge. Don’t shut me out, Bella. I’m your mother and I love you. I want to help.
You know me better than you think, Ma. Better than I know myself, maybe. I didn’t know I was on the edge of something huge until last night.
But true as that was, it didn’t help her reply to her mother.
There was another ping. She looked. Richard again.
Quatrain? (4 lines). Can I see you this evening?
She snorted. I know it’s 4 lines, smug sod. Octet (8 lines) minimum acceptable.
His reply came back so fast, she suspected he’d guessed what she would say.
A triolet? What about this evening?
She laughed aloud.
OK, you got me. What’s a triolet?
She was drinking coffee when his reply pinged back. She nearly choked as she read it.
If you meet me this evening, I can tell you all about triolets. She could just hear him saying it.
There was no doubt what she would do really. It was just a question of how long she was going to make him persuade her.
And then she thought: I’m on the edge of something huge. This is no time to play games. So she didn’t.
When and where?
Almost as soon as she’d sent it, her phone rang. It was Richard.
‘Are we OK?’
‘I don’t know,’ Bella said honestly. ‘I hope so.’
She heard him give a long, relieved sigh.
‘You are a wonderful woman. And we really can meet?’
‘Yes.’
‘Where are you?’
‘About five hundred yards from the Ritz. I just got me a real job.’
‘Brilliant.’ His voice was warm. ‘Tell me all about it when I see